The right step
by redchinese
Summary: things are dragging on, and Orihime's not what one would call an insomniac, but some things need to be sorted, and so they will be. Orihime-centric. AU-warning


Orihime rubbed her eyes tiredly.

Glancing sidelong at the round faced-clock to the left of her seat at the table, she closed her eyes again and pretended she didn't see it.

3:30 AM

She doesn't pull all nighters, much less sleep past 11 at night. It never really happened before Heuco Mundo, but that seemed to happen more often now.

Why was she doing this? The world eventually wakes up in the mornings, that wasn't changing, it never would.

She rubbed the warm umber cloth between her fingers absentmindedly. Whether for comfort or as a reason to wake up, to sleep, to let go, she doesn't know.

They reminded her of his eyes, warm as old oak. She'd bought the cloth as soon as she saw it, felt its velvety but strong stitch through her finger tips. She impulsively deciding she was going to make something of it, a scarf, a blouse, several hankies, a bandana, anything.

But it sat on the small heated table, never cut.

_Ichigo looked at the space that the little reaper had stood, she couldn't see his face but it wasn't hard to guess._

"_Thank you"_

The ginger haired girl pulled the cloth closer to her, breathing deeply thorough it.

"_Thank you"_

She let the cloth slip through her grip and layered it gently on the table, staring at it, at its' texture and lines. At the places where there use to be wetness.

It would never be hers to make. This belonged to someone else, hopefully to the raven with a soul of gold and maybe someday it would belong to him.

Glancing at the clock face again, she registered numbingly that it was 3:35 AM now.

Time told her to move, so she folded the brown cloth methodically. Then she got up slowly, letting her tingly limbs work out the pins and needles. Padding silently to the apartment laundry room, she skipped the machines for a large plastic tub. Plugging the sink quietly, she turned on the hot and cold faucets, letting the soft fabric in her hands run under it.

It continued to soak up the water, is soft edges flowering under the clear liquid.

"Sorry Rukia"

"Shouldn't have hanged onto this for so long"

She scrubbed the warm cloth, letting to soap bubble coalesce, catching fleeting reflections on their shimmering surfaces.

Tomorrow had come, for kurosaki-kun who woke, with the look in his eyes as he said _thank you._

"that's so silly, you didn't see the look in his eye..." Spoken to berate some part she didn't know, smiling wanly to herself.

Outside, the sky was changing from its blackness to a haze of deep violet. The tentative day was singing, humming in her ears like the buzz of the alarm clock she use to use but no longer needs.

So Orihime gave the cloth one last good twist, to wring out the old.

-.-.-

Suppressing a yawn a mile wide, the sandy haired shop keeper scratched an itch at his side.

_Tump, Tump, Tump._

He proceeded to glare at the direction of the door, even he had his limits, but apparently some people didn't. _What's Tessai doing?_

_Tump, Tump, Tump._

Grumbling to himself about finding his employee later to talk, he shuffled towards the source of the incessant knocking.

_Tump, tump, tu-_ he slid open wooden panel swiftly, droning, "I'm sorry, but our store is CLOSED, please visit us at-"

"Ah, sorry Urahara-san, but I was wondering if you were available, and umm, sorry for waking you so early umm-"

The shop owner blinked blearily at the girl in front of him, tucked into a dusty coat and leather cap. He almost couldn't recognize her under the shade.

"..Inoue-chan?"

She waved her hand half heartedly. The half awake man could see easily that something was wrong with that picture in itself. _What is she doing here? Its quarter to 5 in the morning..._

Instead, he rubbed his chin and spoke, " since your here, why don't you come in, did you want some tea?"

She shook her head, "thank you Urahara-san, but... i'll be alright"

The shop keeper shrugged, it didn't change things for him, "hmm, well I'm going to need some, make yourself comfortable in the meantime."

He made his way past the sitting room, while she sat down at the short table, not bothering with her coat or hat.

Kisuke placed the clay mug in front of her as he put his own at the other side, the usual stripped hat in place.

"umm..."

"You don't have to drink it, but warm your hands at least; it's cold out at this time"

"... thank you."

The man smiled tiredly, "not a problem Inoue-chan, now tell me, is there something I can do for you?"

The unnaturally silent girl's finger twitched as she brought the warm cup of tea closer to her. "...Urahara- san, is it possible, if it is not too much trouble I mean, could you..."

The ginger seemed to stiffen, her knuckles white against the pale cup.

"Inoue-chan?"

Her shoulders sagged and then she brought her head up, so that he could see her own eyes underneath the shade of the cap.

"Could you give something to Kuchiki-san for me?..."

Urahara raised an eyebrow delicately underneath his own head gear, "... I believe I could... but I don't see why you can't yourself, in fact, if I remember correctly, she'll be visiting here again later. You can probably see her at your school if you'd like me to arrange that."

_But Kurosaki-san can't_, she thought sagely.

"..."

Just when the shop keeper thought that she wasn't going to answer, she let go of the cup to reach down to her big handbag, pulling out a package wrapped in newspaper and an envelope taped on top. "This is what I wanted to give to Kuchiki-san please ...I'm afraid I can't... but please tell her I promise I will be back... Since I'm leaving today."

Kisuke glanced at her bag, it was a decent size, not any bigger then a large school bag at best, "and where exactly are you going today Orihime-chan?"

Her grey eyes feathered down to the cup, and then seeming to gain resolve again, she looked determinedly back, "...to visit to some relatives out east- after that I don't know."

Urahara looked upon it impassively, than sighed.

"Do your friends know at least?" it wasn't his business to stop the girl, but he sure as hell didn't want any of ichigo's lot to be harassing him for it.

"...Tatsuki knows, I left a message at Uryu-chan and Sado-chan's house"

"and Ichigo?"

Sucking in her breath, her chest seemed to puff up a little, "he'll know right after this."

Urahara scratched the back of his head bemusedly, _women and their strange requests, i'll never understand all of it._

"Well, I guess it s alright then miss, I'll give this package to Kuchiki-chan when she arrives."

Orihime bowed her head slightly, letting the air trapped in her lungs out, "thank you very much Urahara-san"

-.-.-

Kurosaki Ichigo was not a light sleeper, but he wasn't really a heavy sleeper either. So it was inevitable that he would eventually become aware of the incessant knocking on his window.

'_CLAKclik_'

There it was again, he frowned at this and looked at his window blearily.

Silence

Maybe he really had imagined the sound- he never considered himself paranoid, but he might as well have been lately considering his sleeping habits.

'_CHIKHICHKCHIKclattertmptmptmp-_UWAAAAHH!"

_Screw paranoia_, swinging his legs off of bed and hurling the window blinds away along with the pane of glass.

"Okay, who the hell is out there!" he yelled, squinting out into the indigo haze for his bothersome assailment.

A soft groan and shuffling movement below showed a figure getting up off the ground, "Owww.. oof, Sorry Kurosaki, I must of sounded like a mini avalanche there..."

Ichigo blinked owlishly, he recognized that voice but felt a bit thunderstruck to hear it at 5:40am in the morning.

"Inoue-chan? What are you doing here?"

Tittering nervously, Orihime replied, "umm, sorry that i'm bothering you, umm.."

Feeling weirded out by her antics, he sighed, _shit maybe I should go down to see what she wants_, though he wasn't eager to face the day yet.

"...Kurosaki?"

"uh... yeah Orihime?"

He didn't notice she dropped the kun, and surprisingly, it was relief that pooled in her heart.

"...Thanks for opening the window," _and for leaving it open last time._

Scoffing, "that's nothing to thank about, you wanted to talk about something I'm guessing right? Do you want me come down?"He could only make out her figure in the shadows, and talking with a semi disembodied voice was getting creepy.

"No it's alright umm... I just wanted to let you know about something first before I leave Karakura town..."

"..." ichigo stared curiously at the shadows, rubbing his eyes slightly. Talking like this felt as strange as when he 1st spoke to Rukia, when she waltzed into his room like he wasn't there.

He heard an inhale of breath, and she spoke again, "... Rukia-san will come back! And...and you will see her in the future! So... so please... don't stop believing."

There was an awkward silence for a moment as Ichigo stared at the source of his classmate's voice, _what... why in blazes?_

Instead he replied, "...believe in what?" he couldn't help the tinge of sadness that seeped into his tone. Dammed be the wee morning hours.

"Everything!" the girl yelled back, "Please don't lose faith in yourself, don't lose faith in her!"

_Cause you never give up ichigo, please don't stop that now_.

"Anyways ichigo, sorry again for wakening you up so early!"

Picking up her fallen duffle bag, she shouted again before turning, "Have a good day at school Ichigo! See you in a month!"

The resident Kurosaki could only stare strangely at his leaving classmate, of all the random, stupid, silly things to wake up to, this had to top it. _Wait- what's -_

"Inoue-chan! What do you mean see you in a month?" he seemed to surprise her as she stopped walking into the smidge of sunlight lifting through the sky.

He couldn't see her face from the distance or the day break, but she yelled back, "JUST THAT! I'm going exploring for a bit! Start taking care of yourself in the meantime Ichigo, Rukia would want that!"

She waved one last time enthusiastically, before she turned and walked out of sight.

-.-.-

Mini Epilogue:

It took him all day to remember she hadn't called him Kurosaki-kun, he's not sure how he caught that she was going to be gone for a month but not that.

Tatsuki of course has been grumpy, but hasn't harassed him about her leaving, though it didn't stop Ishida from being an ass for 3 weeks after it.

It didn't help that Rukia was somehow on their side.

But it's okay, he's much happier to have Rukia back, things will be back to normal in week.

-.-.-

AN: baugh

anyways this was inspired a few chaps ago by chapter 424, wanted something akin to Orihime letting her feelings for Kurosaki go. although it came out too OOC, and more like Orihime was just trying to make her relationship with ichigo more than comrades, into more honest understanding friends, but not quite omitting her crush. I want to continue this and resolve it but i don`t think i can, since i feel so conflicted myself with regards to orihime's struggles with herself and her feelings towards both rukia and ichigo, my mind's blank of ideas- it's going to be up to kubo to fix all that canonically- whenever that will be *urg*.

I just wish I could remember the name of that cloak

Review?


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